Thorns
by Fade Loves Pusheen
Summary: After the Great Battle, what will happen? They defeated the Dark Forest; it is no more. But where will evil cats go now? StarClan? I would not think so. Rated T for blood and violence. And because I'm paranoid. :P


**PROLOUGE**

"No, Firestar," sputtered Brambleberry. "Think of not just the good things that come from defeating the Dark Forest, but also the bad things." The ginger tom stared at her, puzzled.

"Only good comes from defeating the Dark Forest," he argued. The she-cat sighed, clerly annoyed. "Where do the new evil cats go?" Firestar scoffed at her.

"There won't be any new evil cats."

"How do you know that?"

"I,I... I don't."

**CHAPTER ONE**

Rain fell hard on the stone floor of the island. Breezepelt, Snowtuft, Mapleshade, and three other cats, two dark gray she-cats and a golden tom, stood there. Though each of them were soaked, they were not cold.

"Snowtuft, fetch Tigerstar," growled Breezepelt. Snowtuft nodded, growling, and set off to find the twice dead tom, who most likely was lurking on the pebbly shore in search of prey.

"Mapleshade, go and fetch some more reeds and twigs. We should at least keep a bit dry," he commented. The she-cat nodded and went off into the foliage. A small, brown tom came out. He was shivering, but he had the evil glint in his eyes that all Dark Forest cats had.

"Why aren't we in the trees, so we could be sheltered?" he asked. Breezepelt hissed at the young cat, annoyed.

"There's no space to make a camp there," he commented sourly. "This is the only space we can use, Redpaw." Ever since Dark Forest she-cats began to be able to have kits, they had been thriving, though they could do nothing to the Clans around the lake. Hissing in frustration, Breezepelt padded into their makeshift den. The main Dark Forest cats slept in here, beside the Bone Pile, a mound of prey bones and even some cat bones. Tigerstar erupted out of the shadows with Snowtuft. Each cat held three pieces of prey in their jaws. Breezepelt nodded approvingly.

"Good. Very good indeed. Now go add it to the fresh-kill pile." It was a small shelter of brambles, twigs, and ferns. Only a few drops of water had snuck it's way through the tricky weaving.

"Who made you leader?" snarled Hawkfrost, coming back from by the ocean, carrying five small fish.

"I'm basically the only cat who has not died twice," Breezepelt retorted, slashing his claws down Hawkfrost's pelt. The dark brown tom yowled and jumped back, hissing. However, he nodded and placed his fish in the cave and went over to his den. Redpaw and his littermates, Roaringpaw, Fishpaw, and Bloodpaw, scampered off to the small apprentice den at the edge of the forest. The two younger apprentices, Reedpaw and Growlpaw, skipped after them. As they filed into the small den, which was a tangle of brambles, Redwillow and Breezepelt hopped up onto the Bone Pile. "Let all cats old enough to kill come to hear my words!" Redwillow, who was the unspoken deputy, growled at the apprentices to get out of their comfy den and into the rain.

"We are doing well on prey," he began. The cats cheered, their low growls filling the air. "But what is there to do? Sit around like a normal Clan? We must find a way out of this prison." The cats cheered louder.

"We will discuss in the morning. For now, sleep," Breezepelt growled. The cats nodded solemnly and padded to their dens. Breezepelt yawned, realizing how tired her was. He went over to the mostly finished den, and fell asleep, curled up in soft, dry, moss.

"Wake up!" growled Breezepelt to Redwillow. The tom scrambled up and pelted over to Breezepelt. Tigerstar, Hawkfrost, and Snowtuft followed more slowly.

"It is time for Bloodpaw, Roaringpaw, Fishpaw, and Redpaw to become warriors," said Tigerstar. Breezepelt snarled, shaking his head.

"Soon. They must first prove themselves." He growled in delight.

"Come on, Bloodpaw!" called Mapleshade, who was sitting by the Bone Pile. The apprentice jumped out, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"What will we learn today?" he asked. Mapleshade snickered.

"I smelled badger by the shore," she said. Breezepelt had smelled it, too.

"Get the other apprentice's mentors and them besides Reedpaw and Growlpaw." Mapleshade seemed to know that they would be warriors soon, and they soon were all together, ready to get the badger. Breezepelt turned to the entrance. A new cat trotted in. They were unfamiliar, but Tigerstar's eyes lit up when he spotted her. She had a tawny pelt.

"Sasha?" said Hawkfrost in disbelief. The she-cat nodded.

"Hawkfrost, you've grown," she commented. Hawkfrost purred. Breezepelt stalked over.

"We'll take time for friendly hellos later," he growled. "Hawkfrost, you need to go with Mapleshade to go find the badger. Snowtuft and Thistleclaw, you go with. And you, Silverhawk!" The three toms scurried away to Mapleshade and the apprentices.

* * *

Blood splattered everywhere, and Mapleshade hissed.

"Bloodpaw, I've seen kits do better than that!" Bloodpaw growled, and lunged once again at the huge badger. Roaringpaw, screeching, flung himself at the badger. It bellowed in rage and swiped a massive paw at the apprentice. However, the golden tom was too quick, and jumped away just in time. The badger, too intent on Roaringpaw, didn't realize Redpaw stalking up to him. Fishpaw was stealthily creeping toward it's back.

Suddenly, both toms jumped. Fishpaw let out a huge leap, big enough to be mistaken as a SkyClan cat, and landed on the badger's head. Redpaw began to slash at the badger's side, and battering it with his front paws. The badger growled and tried to swipe Fishpaw off his head with a massive paw.

The silvery tom was knocked off and fell to the pebbly shore. Roaringpaw stared in shock and fear. The badger seized it's chance, and immediately slammed it's body onto the golden apprentice. Roaringpaw shrieked in surprise. Mapleshade growled and lunged at the badger. She gave a huge nudge, and the badger began to stumble. It fell to the ground, and Mapleshade jumped onto it and slid out her thorn-sharp claws.

Immediately, she clawed the creature's throat. Before it could let out another roar, blood began to well up from it's throat, and was streaming out of it's mouth. Mapleshade licked the blood off her paws.

"Let's bring it back to camp."

* * *

"Redpaw, your claws are bleeding!" exclaimed Growlpaw. The medicine cat in the Dark Forest, Aldertail, came rushing over. "What's bleeding?" asked the pale brown tabby tom. Growlpaw flicked his tail to Redpaw's claws. Aldertail purred.

"No, that is just blood from the badger. He can wash it off when he wants." Aldertail's apprentice, Comfreypaw, rushed over to Mapleshade, who had a long scar down her flank.

"What did you do? What were you thinking, going for that badger solo? Just trying to show off?" Mapleshade hissed.

"I don't need a puny medicine cat taking care of me. I can take care of myself." Comfreypaw growled.

"Fine. Go ahead and bleed your third life out, never come back. See if I care." The golden she-cat stalked away to Bloodpaw.

"I'd think you swam in a pool of blood, look at your pelt!" she exclaimed. Bloodpaw hissed.

"Just give me some of those feeble herbs so I can earn my warrior name." Comfreypaw scoffed at him.

"Feeble? These herbs keep you alive! But, apparently no cat wants to live for another day, so you can just bleed out onto the stone floor." Snarling, she went to Fishpaw. The silver tom was greatly hurt; he looked dizzy, and his leg was twisted in a weird way. "Fishpaw, are you okay?" she asked. Fishpaw gasped in pain as he tried to stand up.

"No, I don't think so. I feel like I only have three legs."

"It might be broken."

"What!? But then I wouldn't get to be a warrior!" Comfreypaw sighed.

"No. But even if you don't, we have to heal it."

***gasp*gasp* What will happen to Fishpaw? Anyway, please review!**


End file.
